Need Help With Protecting A Guitar From USPS Fiends...

[darkshadow54321]

Hopefully, I'll soon have a cheapo (yet nice, I hope) 12 string being sent to me. It's coming from the USA to Portugal...

Now, it doesn't have a case, only one of those cardboard boxes... so I need some good tips. Here are the steps I'm requesting that the seller take:

1. Downtune the guitar so the strings are relatively slack, thus placing less tension upon the bridge and neck.

2. Wrapping the guitar several hundred times with that bubble wrap stuff.... Also maybe some of those little polystyrene thingies.

3. Placing the guitar in the centre of the box and filling all the empty space with crunched up newspaper or more bubblewrap, so that the guitar cannot move at all.

4. Supporting the headstock by placing a large amount of newspaper/bubblewrap at the joint... hopefully it wont snap... :smack:

5. Properly taping the box SHUT, so nothing can open.

I'm not sure whether 'fragile' should be put on the sides... On one hand, it might make them be a teeny weeny bit more careful, or it may encourage them to play 'toss the parcel'...

Also, I suppose I could buy a cheap soft case.... Anyone know where I can find a goodish, but damn cheap one?

Any further suggestions, please let me know! Thanks.

 

[darkshadow54321]

Re: Need Help With Protecting A Guitar From USPS Fiends...

Bump....

 

[big_black]

Re: Need Help With Protecting A Guitar From USPS Fiends...

I would suggest you have him ship it overnight if there is no case. That shipment sounds risky no matter what you do .

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Need Help With Protecting A Guitar From USPS Fiends...

Its funny because reguardless of you putting fragile on the box you know they will **** it up somehow. Its almost like fragile means "drop me" to them. :yell: :evil: :cussing: My uncle has his own Ebay business and has shipped alot of spendy stuff with fragile stickers on them but they seem to get thrashed anyways. :smack:

 

[darkshadow54321]

Re: Need Help With Protecting A Guitar From USPS Fiends...

I've decided that I'm going to buy a cheap gig bag for it... I'll need one to carry it around anyway, and it might save the guitar a couple of dents or scratches.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received...

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Need Help With Protecting A Guitar From USPS Fiends...

I think you've covered all your bases pretty well. It's the choice of carriers that is key for me. I've had excellent success with Fed Ex. I received a bad UPS one time and will not use them again.

I did use the USPS to ship that Strat to Mattt in Wales, but it's kinda hard to kill a Strat. I think the USPS gets a bit of a bum rap sometimes. I've used them more than once with absolute success. My only complaint is having to deal with the surly PMS-ing lady behind the counter, after a rather long wait in line. So, I just go straight to Fed Ex and I'm out of there in 5 minutes.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Need Help With Protecting A Guitar From USPS Fiends...

Oh yeah, I'd have him stuff those polystyrene peanuts inside the acoustic. Not really stuff with force, but fill er up with them.